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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29928408">Loving Me Is Enough</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annide/pseuds/Annide'>Annide</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:15:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>880</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29928408</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annide/pseuds/Annide</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>TK tried to do something romantic for Carlos by cooking him dinner, but he isn't the most skilled of cooks.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carlos Reyes/TK Strand</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>107</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Loving Me Is Enough</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sadlyamundane/gifts">Sadlyamundane</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sadlyamundane">Shaz</a>'s birthday. Based on the prompts: "I let you down" + the word "savor". I hope you like it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>                "I let you down."</p><p>                "No, you didn't, this is great."</p><p>                "I know you, Carlos, this is not the face of someone who likes their food."</p><p>                "It's not bad. And what matters is the gesture. You promised to cook for me and you did. It’s really sweet of you."</p><p>TK tilted his head in doubt. His boyfriend had to just be trying to make him feel better about his skills. He'd tried to do something romantic and it failed. Carlos deserved the best things in life. All TK wanted to do was to show him how much he loved and appreciated him, but he couldn’t achieve that.</p><p>He felt as though he weren’t enough. He put his fork down so he could hold his hands together in his lap. He stared at his food, right there in front of him as evidence of what he lacked as a boyfriend. He could never make Carlos happy.</p><p>                "Hey, TK, look at me," Carlos reached over, put his hand under his chin and lifted it up to make sure they were staring into each other’s eyes, "this might not be the best tasting meal I've ever had, but it is good and it did give me a break from cooking. It was nice to just sit back and relax."</p><p>                "Are you sure?"</p><p>                "Yes. I don't need you to cook me extraordinary things, I just need you to be here and love me like I love you. I appreciate you caring enough to try."</p><p>                "Alright. Next time, I'll impress you with my take out ordering skills instead."</p><p>                "As long as I get to share a meal with you, I'm down for anything."</p><p>TK smiled. He also enjoyed any moment spent together. It didn't really matter what they did as long as he got to feel Carlos near him. He liked being able to grab his boyfriend's hand and bring it to his mouth to deposit a kiss on the back of his palm.</p><p>                “I still feel like you deserve better than me. You’re such an amazing person, with so many talents. What could you possibly want with someone like me?”</p><p>Carlos pulled on TK’s hand to make him stand and come to him. Once his boyfriend sat in his lap, Carlos ran his fingers through his hair and down until they cupped his cheek.</p><p>                “TK, you are enough for me. You have a great heart, you’re funny and caring. And you have your own talents. Sure, cooking or driving aren’t in your skillset, but I can do that. You know what I can’t do though? Fix the water pressure in my own shower the way you did, or fold fitted sheets.”</p><p>                “I’d argue you can’t really fold anything. Your drawers were a mess before I started hanging around here.”</p><p>                “See? You don’t need to be able to do everything. Our skills complete each other, that’s why we make such a great couple.”</p><p>                “I don’t know how you always know just what to say, but I love you for it.”</p><p>                “I love you too. Now, tell me, what was the occasion for this romantic evening?”</p><p>A grin formed on TK’s lips and he put his hand on Carlos’ chest, his thumb fidgeting softly with the button of his shirt.</p><p>                “Does there need to be a specific occasion? Can’t I just do something nice to show my appreciation for the man I love?”</p><p>                “TK, you tried to cook,” Carlos deadpanned.</p><p>                “Alright, remember when you gave me a drawer? And then when you gave me a key and said we’d take this one step at a time and only go further when I’d be ready?”</p><p>                “Yes, I recall. What are you saying?”</p><p>TK could almost feel Carlos buzzing with excitement. He knew his boyfriend had been hoping for this day for a while, but didn’t want to push him, didn’t want to make their relationship move too fast.</p><p>                “I’m saying,” TK deposited a butterfly kiss on the tip of Carlos’ nose, “that I’m ready. If you still want me to, I’d love to move in with you.”</p><p>Carlos wrapped his arms tightly around him and TK buried his face in his neck. He’d learned in the past few months that his boyfriend liked to show his emotions with small touches and gestures like hugs rather than words, but it was plenty for TK. He didn’t need a worded yes, this embrace was all the response he needed. Those arms around him meant ‘please never leave’, they meant ‘of course I still want you’, they meant ‘I feel safe with you and I will always make sure you feel the same’.</p><p>                “I’m looking forward to waking up next to you all the time, and seeing your stuff laying around the apartment when you’re on shift as a reminder that this is your home,” Carlos finally said.</p><p>                “<em>Our</em> home.”</p><p>The smile on Carlos’ face grew so big, TK felt hesitant to disturb it. Still, he took Carlos’ head in his hands and leaned in for a kiss. Happiness filled the room more than he ever could’ve imagined back when he packed his entire life in New York to move here. His life had taken an unexpected turn, but it had lead to the best thing he could dream of having.</p>
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